“Not many actors could talk [when the talkies arrived]. So they shoved the ones that came from Broadway into everything. It all went so fast. I used to ask myself, ‘What set am I on today? What script am I supposed to be doing – this one or that one? All I shouted for was a day off. We got it Sunday. But I had to stay in bed that one day to get ready for the next six days of shooting. I wonder if Jack Warner appreciated his movie-acting family?”—Glenda FarrellJohn White Alexander (American, 1856-1915)“The Green Dress”1890-1899oil on canvas39 X 21 inches

Dovima, wearing a coat by Dior, in a photo by Richard Avedon for Harper’s Bazaar, 1951

Noel Neill, 1946, played Lois Lane in Superman movie serials in 1948 and 1950 as well as on the Superman television series from 1951 to 1957. She continued her Superman association by appearing in the 1978 Christopher Reeve film as Lois Lane’s mother and also had a small part in Superman Returns in 2006. A statue of Noel Neill as Lois Lane was erected in Metropolis, Illinois (”the official home of Superman”) in 2010. She died in 2016.

Noel Neill with the “Lois Lane played by Noel Neill statue” on Market Street in Metropolis, IL.

“No matter who the nominal hostess was, Norma [Shearer] was always the queen, and no matter what time the party was to begin, Norma was always late, because she would sit for hours—hours!—to do her makeup, then make the grand entrance. She was always and forever the star. She had to be that way, really, because she became a star by force of will—hers and [Irving] Thalberg’s [her husband]. Better-looking on the screen than in life, Norma Shearer was certainly not a beauty on the level of Paulette Goddard, who didn’t need makeup, didn’t need anything. Paulette could simply toss her hair and walk out the front door, and strong men grew weak in the knees.”—Robert WagnerEverett Shinn (American, 1876-1953) “The Orchestra Pit”, 1906 Oil on canvas, Height: 17.25 in., Width: 19.5 in., Yale University Art Gallery

Dovima models a Dior coat in a Richard Avedon photo, Paris, 1955

Jane Avril (Zsa Zsa Gabor) Moulin Rouge, 1952Screenplay by Anthony Veiller, John Huston, Based on the novel “Moulin Rouge: A Novel Based on the Life of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec” by Pierre La Mure (New York, 1950).

A group of Jewish partisans called, The Avengers. Rachel Rudnitzki is pictured here after the Avengers helped the Russian army retake the city of Vilna, 1944.

Maayan Ariel and Lielle Meital wish all our friends and relatives a joyous and inspirational Shabbat.

Reader Interactions

Comments

To Glenda Farrell — according to popular opinion, Jack Warner probably didn’t consider you and the other Studio actors as “family”.

Robert — I remember learning something of The Avengers back in some history class from long ago, but I don’t see much of anything about Rachel Rudnitzki (other than this photo) on Google. Do you know what happened to her? Aside from the military accessories, she bear a resemblance to my late mother in this photo.

That must have been amazing to witness “talkies” take over. if you find yourself in Oakland do take a tour of the Paramount theater. Quite a history behind it – built in 1931 with 4,000 seats or so. It was planned in the silent era and finished with talkies, so the organ that came up to the stage on a hydraulic system was obsolete before it opened.

Finally the car of Frank Lloyd Wright – he also designed Max Hoffman’s Park Ave showroom (which believe it or not was razed a few years ago!) and in part payment he received a Mercedes 300Sc coupe and a 300SL.

Hoffman was legendary in import circles as he sold Mercedes post war, brought VW, BMW, Alfa Romeo and others to the US.

My mother was mentioning a famous LA architect from the 50s – designed a house up here (that like all good designs still looks contemporary) – trying to think of his name.

I have always liked the movie “The Bad and the Beautiful” which has a rather fictionalized account of the coming of sound but it is fun. I have always wondered how much is true and which characters are based on real people.

The Bad and the Beautiful is about David Selznick, and as biographies go, pretty close to getting it right, from the death of his father, an early industry pioneer, to the Val Lewton like making of a horror movie and a sweeping historical epic.

Actually that story about actors who lost careers because of sound and funny voice is only somewhat so. Mainly those that lost careers had person issues, such as alcoholism or extreme femininity, that would not have precluded their working in some character parts, but not as vigorous leading males. John Gilbert, usually cited, had an adequate voice and was a better than good actor, but, and this is only my view, he was not a star in sound film. By that I mean he did not project a dominant presence on screen. Had he been cast in supporting parts, and laid off the booze he might have been okay. Take a look at his final film, The captain Hates The Sea for confirmation of this.

Primary Sidebar

How I Married Karen

The new bookby Robert J. Avrech

Available in All Major Book Stores

Adobe Digital Edition's version is available through the Lulu store!

About Me
Robert J. Avrech
Los Angeles, California

I'm an Emmy Award winning screenwriter. I'm also an observant Jew, a religious Zionist, a conservative Republican, and a member of the NRA. I've been writing and producing in Hollywood for over twenty-five years. But the focus of my life is my family: my radiant wife, Karen—with whom I have been in love with since I was nine years-old—and my two daughters, who, thankfully, look like Karen. Not too long ago, we had three children. But our son, Ariel, died at the age of twenty-two from cancer. We miss him terribly. We think about him practically every minute of every day. People tell us that time heals, but Karen and I know this is not true. Time grinds away doing its terrible work. Ariel is gone. Yet absence becomes presence.

Ariel Chaim Avrech, ZT'L, May His Righteous Memory be a Blessing.

Search this website

Annual Ariel Avrech
Memorial Lectures
Young Israel of Century CityNOTE: Click on video titles inside the thumbnail images, below, to open that video in YouTube

Fifteenth: June 10, 2018Jackie Danicki: “Confessions of a Convert: A Humbling, Joyful Journey to Judaism.”